From Eddie Jones’s praise for ‘tough rooster’ Owen Farrell to Ellis Genge questioning rugby’s inclusivity and Ben Moon’s bouncy castle call-up“Is the international game under threat? I think it is. Look at the balance sheets of some nations and you can see exactly where we stand. If you ask me as a businessman, the business side of rugby is not working. By the 2019 World Cup we need to have a blueprint for the next 10 years. I’m not going to be an accomplice to rugby’s ruin” – World Rugby’s Agustín Pichot issues a stark global warning.“I don’t think the natural talent in New Zealand is better than some of the talent we have on this side of the world. Defensively in Europe we are more advanced than they are, most definitely” – Ronan O’Gara, currently Crusaders assistant coach. Continue reading...

Max Rushden, Barry Glendenning, Mark Langdon and Marcus Bean discuss the Champions League draw, dour management, Xherdan Shaqiri’s career revival, goalmouth scrambles and a message for listeners in TogoJoin the conversation on Facebook, Twitter and email.We look back at the weekend’s football action, starting with Liverpool’s 3-1 win over Manchester United, which has done something for the Anfield side’s title-challenging credentials, and nothing for José Mourinho’s job prospects. Continue reading...

Kelly Slater produced a miraculous recovery to avoid a wipeout in Hawaii on Sunday. The 11-times former world champion surfer fell inside a barrel while competing at the season-ending Pipeline Masters event in Oahu, Hawaii. But Slater somehow managed to roll back on to his board and popped up into a standing position before squirting out of the barrel - much to the surprise of the American and those watching from the North Shore. Continue reading...

Magistrate also fines Averof Panteli £500, saying his actions had ‘racial element’A Tottenham fan who threw a banana skin at the Arsenal striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has been handed a four-year football ban and fined after magistrates ruled there was a racial element to the incident.Averof Panteli admitted throwing the banana skin on the pitch after Aubameyang celebrated a goal but denied there was any racial motivation to the incident, with his lawyer claiming the 57-year-old picked it up because it was the closest thing to him. Continue reading...

• Gurney won 3-0 with match average of 100.3• Vincent van der Voort also through with 3-0 winDaryl Gurney shook off early double trouble to beat Ross Smith 3-0 and book his place in the third round of the PDC world championship at Alexandra Palace.The fifth seed appeared on course to take the opening set 3-0 before missing eight darts at a finish as Smith recovered to level at 2-2, only to see Gurney then hit double 12. Continue reading...

• Mauricio Pochettino refuses to rule himself out of full-time role• United have made their worst start to a season in 28 years• How the day of Mourinho’s United axe unfoldedManchester United are hopeful of announcing Ole Gunnar Solskjaer as their caretaker manager after the sacking of José Mourinho on Tuesday morning, with the club intent on appointing a permanent replacement by the summer. Tottenham’s Mauricio Pochettino is the current frontrunner.On Tuesday Pochettino refused to rule himself out of the running. “I cannot answer this type of question, because this type of rumour happens in this business, in football,” he said. Continue reading...